Mi'kmaq chief of 304 paid $243K

The chief of a tiny Mi'kmaq community in Nova Scotiadefended Thursday the $1.7 million in salary and compensationshe andthree councillors received in2008.

Chief Shirley Clarke and the Glooscap First Nationcame under the spotlight when theCanadian Taxpayers Federationunveiled federal documents last week that showedhigh salaries at many reserves across the country, including oneEast Coast band with 304 members that paid its chief $243,000 a year.

The federation didn't release the name of the band, but it was widely believed to be Glooscap, because the population numbers matched.

Untilthe news conference Thursday, Clarke had refused to confirm that it was her band or to say what the band'ssalaries were.

Clarkesaid she works hard for her money, and that it was unfair for the Taxpayers Federation to make public the salary information. The federation obtained thenumbers through access-to-information requests.

"It has singled out native communities in a way that deepen prejudice and reinforces stereotypes, and that is not fair," she said.

Clarke confirmed that one councillor, Mike Halliday,received $978,000 in 2008, but she says much ofit was business-contract revenue, not salary.

Numbers the band released Thursday showed that $718,000 was business revenue related to contracting work Halliday did for the band. The contracts were awarded by the council.

"Media reports suggest he was getting hundreds of thousands of dollars in taxpayer support," Clarke said. "In fact, that money was generated as business revenue here in our community."

Clarke saidHalliday isan important entrepreneur in the community.

The chiefis promising a review of current salaries in the new year, and better disclosure, including postingthe figuresonline.

"I work hard, but I can always do better," Clarke said.

Residents had requested a meeting with band politicians after learningof their hefty salaries.